Dream trip to KC planned for Chicago kids

LaVonte Stewart wants to make sure kids in Chicago know their Black history, and he’s fulfilling that mission in part by planning a trip of a lifetime for them.

His organization, Lost Boyz, will take around 145 kids -- boys and girls -- from Chicago's South Shore neighborhood to Kansas City to visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and the American Jazz Museum, both located at the historic 18th & Vine district.

The children will also play baseball games in the Kansas City area. They hope to play with kids from the Urban Youth Academy, located right behind NLBM. Stewart wants to show those on the trip what life is like when they travel outside of Chicago. The plan is to be in Kansas City from July 24-28, and Stewart is currently raising funds to help offset costs.

“With baseball being a significant sport to this country’s development, we have to talk about the Negro Leagues,” Stewart said in a phone interview with MLB.com. “The Negro Leagues are a huge part of the baseball story in America. It doesn’t get the attention that it deserves.

“I want the kids to know about that rich history that’s not in all of the statistical books that are out there for Major League Baseball. I want them to understand the contribution of those players. There were amazing players that stacked up against MLB players of their time.”

The Lost Boyz need to raise $40,000 separate from the operating budget, nearly $17,000 of which has already been raised. Donations can be made on the organization’s website.

Stewart credits freelance journalist Shakeia Taylor for giving recognition to the organization.

“Thanks to Shakeia, who has been on Twitter hyping up the trip and retweeting information about the trip and the link to donate,” Stewart said. “… In 48 hours, thanks to the help of Shakeia Taylor, we went from $2,700 in the bucket prior to Shakeia getting involved to $12,800. So, a [little over] $10,000 jump in less than 48 hours.”

While in Kansas City, the kids will learn about the rich history of the Negro Leagues from NLBM president Bob Kendrick.

“Baseball is the most aspirational sport of them all,” Kendrick said. “What I mean when I say that is, you have to see yourself playing this game. You need to see people who look like you playing this game if you want to aspire to play the game yourself.

“That’s why I think the Negro Leagues Museum is so important in this effort to get more urban kids engaged and interested in our sport. When you come here, you see people who look just like you and they played this game as well as anybody ever played this game.”

Stewart founded Lost Boyz in 2009 after witnessing antisocial behavioral patterns continuously affect local youth in Chicago. Knowing the impact baseball can have on a child’s social development, he decided to start a baseball league for boys that would go on to include girls four years later. He wanted to serve as a role model in the Chicago area.

“Why I do this is because I think about my own derailment,” Stewart said. “How did I get derailed? It really pointed to one thing: the environment that I inherited as a child. A lot of things around me was chaotic and toxic. … I was looking at these little boys. It was like looking at a time mirror. It was like, I can do something about this. I’m just one man, but I can do something. I can play a part and impact a couple lives.”

A lot of that impact will be felt this summer in Kansas City.